90 Dry Cleaners Report to ChemTRAC

Posted by Heather Marshall285sc on August 01, 2014

Many of Toronto's dry cleaners are using toxic chemicals to clean our clothes. ChemTRAC shows us where these shops are and how much we're exposed to.

The City of Toronto's latest ChemTRAC Report identified the chemicals used and released by the dry cleaning industry in our city. When we combine the chemical releases of all 91 shops that reported to ChemTRAC this past year, over 50,000 kilograms of toxic substances polluted our air.

Toronto's dry cleaners are predominantly using toxic chemicals like Perc (Tetrachloroethylene) and VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) to clean our clothes. ChemTRAC's Dry Cleaning Sector report clearly shows that over 50% of all the chemicals used in these shops get released into the outdoor air, posing a risk to public health.

Perc and VOCs have both been listed as Substances of Highest Concern by Toronto Public Health this year, which makes the dry cleaning sector a key focus area for toxics reduction.